How To Know if You’re a Highly Sensitive Person—and Why It’s Different From Being an Empath

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 These two personality types are often mistaken for each other, but the distinctions are important to know.

By 
Jessica Migala
 
 
Updated on December 6, 2022
 Medically reviewed by 
Anju Goel, MD, MPH
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Do the people in your life tell you how genuine and compassionate you are? And that you're extremely emotionally in tune with those around you? Then you might be a "highly sensitive person" (HSP), a personality type sometimes mistaken for an empath because they share a sense of true empathy for others.

Here's what it means to be a highly sensitive person, how to know if you are one, and why being an empath is actually a different thing, according to experts.

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What Is a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)?

Those who are highly sensitive "are really kind, caring, compassionate, empathetic, genuine people who want to help others and the world," said sensitivity expert and psychotherapist Julie Bjelland, LMFT. High sensitivity is an innate trait you can't develop or change. About 70% of HSPs are introverts and 30% are extroverts, according to Bjelland.

About one-fifth of people are HSPs, according to research. In that research, brain imaging scans showed that those who scored higher on an HSP scale showed stronger activation of brain regions in awareness, empathy, and responsiveness.1

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